High school bowling: Fairport seventh at Division II state tournament

COLUMBUS — Sometimes you just know a certain day is not your day.
The Fairport bowling team had plenty of signs Feb. 28 was not its day as it participated in the Division II state bowling tournament at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.
Between a slow start, a handful of splits and their share of buried pocket shots that left a solid 10-pin, the Skippers absorbed blow after blow just to get to the final round of eight teams.
Once the Skippers qualified for the eight-team bracket play for final placement, and had trouble getting a rack to come down with all 10 pins part of the set, well, that was the sign of signs.
Feb. 28 wasn’t going to be the day the Skippers would win their coveted state championship.
A year after finishing third in the state tournament, Fairport settled for seventh place after losing to Coldwater, 3-0, in Baker games.
“It was one of those days,” said Coach Jerry Rich with a sigh. “We’d like to think we’re better than what we did today. It happened to be one of those days, and it was at the state tournament.”
Fairport didn’t have much leeway once the final round of eight began. Because they struggled out of the gate in preliminary rounds with team scores of 865 and 896, the Skippers found themselves seeded seventh in the final round of bracket play.
That put Fairport up against sizzling Coldwater, the second seed.
The only thing less desirable than that would have been facing top-seeded and eventual state champion Warren Champion, which burnt the preliminary field with the help of a dazzling Baker game round, including a 288 in one of the Baker games.
“I’m glad they’re on the other side (of the bracket),” Rich said when cross-bracketed from Fairport.
It didn’t matter.
Coldwater was just as dangerous, defeating Fairport, 221-148, in the opener of the best-of-five Baker series.
It was a sign of things to come.
“Coldwater bowled very, very well,” Rich said. “They’re a very good team, and we never got going again.”
It wasn’t for lack of trying. Rich juggled the top of his lineup throughout the three games in an attempt to catch fire, rotating Katelyn Dickerson, Tyler Harkins and Nathan Vale in front of Jordan Johnson and Casey Cohagan.
“I was just looking for some consistency at the top of the lineup,” said Rich, explaining his lineup juggling in the finals.
Coldwater won the second Baker game, 200-183.
The lineup juggling looked to be working, with Harkins, Dickerson and Vale stringing together strikes, but the Skippers left open frames in two of the next four frames and never recovered.
The Cavaliers wrapped up the sweep with a 209-192 score in the third and final game.
“Extremely (disappointing),” Cohagan said. “We didn’t make spares when we needed to, and now we’re going home.
“I didn’t see this happening today. I don’t know. Bad shots just killed us.”
Cohagan rolled a 661 series in the preliminary round to be named first team All-Ohio and second overall in the medalist race.
“Casey was fantastic,” Vale said. “I feel bad for him. He bowled great today.”
Champion continued its hot bowling throughout the day to win the state championship, defeating Struthers, 3-2, in the finals of bracket play, capping the championship with a 170-143 Baker game victory.
It was a championship round Fairport envisioned itself participating in — and winning.
When the Skippers’ season ended at the hands of Coldwater, players hugged, some wiped tears from their eyes, and others sat in disbelief.
“Absolutely you want it to be your best effort,” Rich said. “But we’re pretty proud of the fact we’ve been here two years in a row. Not many schools in many sports get to do that.
“I’m pretty proud of them.”